Su-34 Fullback

The Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO reporting name: Fullback) is a Russian twin-engine, twin-seat, all-weather supersonic fighter-bomber developed by Sukhoi. Derived from the Su-27 airframe, it entered service with the Russian Air Force in 2014 to replace the Su-24 tactical bomber. The aircraft is designed for tactical strike, attack, and reconnaissance roles, and is characterized by its side-by-side armored cockpit and duckbill nose configuration.

Development

Development began in the mid-1980s under the internal designation T-10V to replace the Su-24. The initial prototype, converted from an Su-27UB, made its first flight on 13 April 1990. The first pre-production aircraft flew on 18 December 1993, followed by the first production-standard aircraft on 28 December 1994. Built primarily at the Novosibirsk Aircraft Plant, early production was delayed by budget constraints. Full-rate production began in 2008, and by early 2024, 178 airframes had been produced, including prototypes and pre-production units.

Design

The Su-34 features a three-lifting-surface layout incorporating canards, main wings, and horizontal tailplanes. Power is provided by two Saturn AL-31FM1 afterburning turbofans, yielding a top speed of Mach 1.8 at altitude and an unrefueled range of 4,000 km. The forward fuselage contains a continuous 17 mm titanium armored capsule for the crew, who sit side-by-side on NPP Zvezda K-36DM ejection seats. The cabin includes standing room, a hand-held urinal, and a vacuum flask. Avionics center on the Leninets V004 passive electronically scanned array radar, which tracks up to ten air targets simultaneously, complemented by an integrated Khibiny electronic countermeasures suite.

Armament

Internal armament consists of a 30 mm GSh-30-1 autocannon with 180 rounds. The airframe features 12 external hardpoints capable of carrying 12,000 to 14,000 kg of payload, with a maximum weight of 4,000 kg for any single munition. Defensive armaments include R-73, R-77, and R-27 air-to-air missiles. Surface-strike munitions include Kh-29, Kh-31, Kh-35U, Kh-38, and Kh-59 missiles, alongside KAB-series guided bombs and UMPK glide bomb kits.

Operational History

The Su-34 saw combat deployment to Syria in September 2015, conducting strike operations from Latakia using GLONASS satellite guidance for precision bombing. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the type was used extensively for low-altitude strikes and stand-off attacks with UMPK glide bombs, resulting in over 35 visually confirmed aircraft losses. Non-combat missions include a 2016 deployment in Vologda Oblast to break up river ice jams with bombs. Algeria became the first export customer, ordering Su-34ME airframes that were first delivered in 2025.

Variants

• Su-34: Standard baseline production fighter-bomber.
• Su-32: Export variant offered to Algeria in 2012, since discontinued.
• Su-34E: Current designated export version.
• Su-34M: Modernized variant featuring upgraded radar, avionics, electronic warfare systems, and expanded guided weapons capability.